brown bag lunch: a gluten free necessity

I work VERY hard to keep a totally 100% gluten free diet.  (It's funny that I just used to word "diet".  My grandma drives me NUTS when she calls my "gluten free lifestyle" a "diet".  LOL.  none the less.)  I have the privilege (/ curse) of having lunch provided at work on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Which seems awesome but truly it blows...

I know I sound like a control freak (and a jerk) BUT it's really important for me to know ahead of time what's on the menu so I know if I need to pack my own lunch or not.  Sounds easy enough.  However, sometimes even if I think I can eat with the group I still get sick.

All the time I find myself saying things like, "No, I can't eat that.  It's ok.", "Don't worry about me.  I'll bring my own lunch.", "No, thank you.  I don't want any cake."  It's like people feel compelled to offer you food.  I don't want your food.  And I find myself constantly fielding, "Well, can't you eat that?!", "Well, why can't you just pick off the croutons?" and "Would you like some?"  I know people think it's polite, but it also drives me nuts.

It is certainly NOT like I asked for this.

This is the best way I can express how being (not just eating) gluten free makes me feel sometimes:  http://glutendude.com/celiac-rant/dear-world-here-is-why-i-eat-gluten-free/

  "Dear Friends, Family, and acquaintances:

• I am not eating gluten free as part of a fad, or because the latest celebrity has decided to jump on the G-free bandwagon.
• I am not eating gluten free to annoy you, inconvenience you or to make things difficult when we go out to eat.
• I am not eating gluten free to be the center of attention or to put a damper on your party.
• I am not eating gluten free to pay outrageous prices for a single cookie, cupcake, or a tiny little pizza.
• I am not eating gluten free to pay a lot more for a little bag of gluten free flour.
• I am not eating gluten free to worry about what I can eat when I go out to eat.
• I am not eating gluten free because I love to analyze every ingredient on every item I pick up to purchase.

• I am eating gluten free because that little protein that you cannot see in your muffin, cookie, cake, pie, beer, pizza, soup, and yes, even your soy sauce makes me ill.
• I am eating gluten free because that little protein hurts my stomach, my joints, my muscles and yes, even my brain.
• I am eating gluten free because I have a disease.

Any questions?"

I say all time that I'm going to just bring my own lunch.  It sounds easy and it probably is but I can manage to make it hard somehow.  It is especially hard when a room full of people don't understand why you need a special salad.  Or they think you don't want to have what they're having.  (Like I'm too good to eat the lunch provided.  Yup, I'm too good all right.  LOL.  At least I can laugh about it.)  

Well.  Today, I put my big girl pants on and I bought my own lunch from home.  YAH!  I've been doing research (on Pinterest, of course!) and settled on the idea of making my own "Bento Box" style lunch.  (See, I make it hard.  Instead of just packing a simple lunch; I had to do research first.)  

{slaps own forehead}  

Yes, I ate ALL of that and it was spectacular.  It was good; I'm going to make another one for tomorrow's lunch.  :)

Do you have any tips, tricks, suggestions, or go to's for packing a healthy, gluten free lunch to take to work?  

gluten free road block ahead

what's that saying?...  "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"... this week my good intentions include planning meals, and making food ahead.  my biggest gluten free road blocks are myself and my hunger, or my reaction to my hunger.  sometimes i swear my stomach takes over my brain, hits cruise control and before i know it i'm elbow deep in a box of gluten free rice chex. 

my plan is have good gluten free food on hand this week, so i don't fall off the wagon, and hopefully be able to get my over eating under control.  (annie's rice pasta and cheddar, i love you, but have i have to get it through my head that a box contains more than one serving.)

so today i've already made a batch of tuna salad.  my grandma make's the best tuna; i've got to ask for her secret.  my secret is a couple of tablespoons of relish.  it gives it kind of a little hint of sweetness that i like.  this will be great to have on hand for a quick sandwich or wrap.  (check out the healthy living tab on bumble bee tuna's website for some good tips.) 

i also made a quick pasta salad throwing together stuff i had in my pantry.  tinkyada brown rice vegetable spirals (1 bag), Italian dressing (1 cup),  mccormick pasta seasoning mix (4 tablespoons), and one can of chickpeas.

11/29/13  i found this post saved as a draft from 2011.  i think it's kind of funny that i'm still having similar struggles.  however, i really think it's important to put out there that it is a struggle to completely change how you eat and think about food.  it gets better.  for me i really had to dig deep and commit to change.  i think i've been staying away from the blog because i felt like a jerk making it sound like being gluten free was ok.  it is OK, but it's not awesome;  and it's ok to feel that way about it. 

on again, OFF again...

UGH!!  
<over share alert!!>

well, wheat and i were on again the last couple weeks...  i was going hot and heavy with Subway, Dunkin Dounuts, and Panera!!  YUM.

but alas we were not meant to be.  i woke up this morning and i felt like i got run over by a truck.  now i feel like i have a knife in the back of neck.  and to top it off last night i literally wanted to kill myself over something i knew was super super dumb.  

NOTHING tastes as good as feeling good feels.  I guess i just have to keep telling myself that.

this morning, as part of my rehab, i went into Dunkin Dounuts and didn't order anything but my coffee.  i said good bye to Subway today for lunch... ham and cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, banana peppers and extra mayo on WHITE...  GOOD BYE!!  

the great part about my wheat detox/ rehab is i can make a fresh start with my next bite and i can be in total control of how this goes from here.  i am so a food addict.  

i feel better just for getting it out and know with absolute certainty that i'll feel better in the morning... and maybe my pants will fit better too.  i am SO bloated.

UGH!!

an amazing gluten free moment

last weekend my parents and i attended the mount holyoke college annual flower show.  it is seriously one of my favorite events of the year.

before that we ate lunch at another of my favorite spots:  Barstow's!

the amazing gluten free moment came when i placed my order for a chicken salad sandwich, and asked the girl to "hold the bread please!"  she looked at me kind of funny, and then i explained that i had brought my own gluten bread!!  (yes, i'm now that girl.  who carries gluten free bread in a sandwich baggy in her purse.  hahahaha and damn proud of it.)  after confirming with another girl what the best course of action would be... my mom and i were served two scoops of chicken salad and a plate of sandwich "toppings".  

i have never been so satisfied with a meal or with myself.  the chicken salad was awesome!!  and as for myself... i was super pumped that i thought ahead and didn't allow myself to be sucked in by the "regular" fluffy white bread that would have only caused me tummy trouble and a headache.

the other AMAZING part about Barstow's is that they make gluten free cookies!!  they usually have peanut butter, and coconut macaroons.  this time i took home some coconut macaroons.  :)

unless you are gluten free, or are in a similar situation, it is really hard to understand how meaningful a small gesture (like "holding the bread") can mean to someone.  thank you Barstow's!!

have a happy gluten free day!!  :)  

dining out: gluten free...

a while ago, on our way to get some breakfast, after finding our favorite gluten free spot closed for remodeling.  we pasted a restaurant with a sign out front that read: GLUTEN FREE PIZZA AND BEER.  since then i've been dying to try it out!!  

well saturday night my parents and i went out for GLUTEN FREE PIZZA AND BEER!! at Patsy's Pizzeria & Ristorante
 
the service was great and the food was awesome.  they had what i would consider a large gluten free menu with a variety of options.  as i scanned the menu the thought occurred to me:  wow, i can order a pasta dish!!  


i had my heart set on gluten free pizza so that's what i ordered.  i was super surprised and excited that my topping options were not limited to a small list either!  i ordered the 'combination', hold the hamburger, and green peppers, add onions.  my mom ordered baked ziti and my dad ordered "regular" pasta a la stephania.  

my pizza was a pre-made 10 inch crust with exactly what i wanted on it ...and it was nothing short of gluten free pizza magic.  (like eat, pray, love style: unbutton your pants and eat til you can't eat anymore good.)  my mom's baked ziti was probably the best baked ziti i've ever had, gluten free or not.  there was super creamy ricotta cheese mixed throughout and the sauce was really flavorful (no jar sauce involved here.) 


whether you're looking for gluten free fair or not Pasty's is a must try!!


enjoy something today, i mean: really enjoy something today, and have a happy gluten free day!

p.s. it was a really nice feeling to come home feeling full but not like i'm going to sick full... you know what i mean!!